Indian Country Today Media Network.com - Standing Rock Sioux Tribehttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/tags/standing-rock-sioux-tribe
enObama Puts Native Youth Front and Center at 2014 White House Tribal Nations Conferencehttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/12/04/obama-puts-native-youth-front-and-center-2014-white-house-tribal-nations-conference
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>During Wednesday’s Sixth Annual 2014 White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington, D.C., President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Dept. of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Attorney General Eric Holder and other Senior Administration officials addressed a number of relevant issues to Indian country such as the Violence Against Women Act, treaty rights, transportation, Indian health, housing, business and the environment.</p>
<p>However, the main emphasis of the conference was a clear dedication to the health and welfare of the needs of Native youth.</p>
<p>In President Obama’s closing speech, which was met with lively applause, laughter and appreciative exclamations, the President spoke of his previous historic visit to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. After his visit, he and the first lady met privately with Native youth from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.</p>
<p>RELATED: <a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/14/obama-reaffirms-commitment-indian-country-historic-visit-155306" target="_self">Obama Reaffirms Commitment to Indian Country in Historic Visit</a></p>
<p>During his remarks to a room filled with several hundred tribal leaders and Native youth Obama said he was profoundly affected by the stories he was told.</p>
<p>“Michelle and I ended up staying longer than we had planned, and we got a lot of hugs in, and we walked away shaken because some of these kids were carrying burdens no young person should ever have to carry. And it was heartbreaking,” Obama said.</p>
<p>“And we told them, because they were such extraordinary young people – strong and talented and courageous – we said, you've got to believe in yourselves because we believe in you. We want to give those young people and young Native Americans like them the support they deserve. We have to invest in them, and believe in them, and love them.</p>
<p>“And if we do, there’s no question of the great things they can achieve – not just for their own families, but for their nation and for the United States.”</p>
<p>After massive applause from the audience, the President then explained how that when he returned to Washington, he talked with Sally Jewell, Arne Duncan and other staff responsible for youths, education and job training in order to create opportunity for Native young people.</p>
<p>“They knew I was serious because it’s not very often where I tear up in the Oval Office. I deal with a lot of bad stuff in this job. It is not very often where I get choked up, so they knew I was serious about this,” Obama said.</p>
<p>On the tail of his remarks, the president then announced important items to benefit Native youth. The first is a comprehensive report just released on the issues and challenges faced by Native youth, second were the instructions that every one of Obama’s cabinet members should sit down with Native young people to hear firsthand accounts.</p>
<p>Obama also discussed a Department of Education initiative called Native Youth Community Projects in which schools would more strongly support culturally relevant curriculum, the creation of a National Network called Generation Indigenous and a National Tribal Youth Network to connect and support tribal youth from all Nations. Native Youth Community Projects, Generation Indigenous, National Tribal Youth Network, White House Tribal Youth Gathering,</p>
<p>“And next year, we will hold the first White House Tribal Youth Gathering. It will look a lot like this conference – only younger,” Obama said to a round of laughter.</p>
<p>Prior to President Obama’s speech, Secretary Jewell delivered the opening remarks at the conference and highlighted trust responsibilities, educational reform and climate adaptation. Jewell also indicated the importance of paving a positive road for the youth in Indian country.</p>
<p>“All of the work we are undertaking in partnership with tribes – whether on education, tackling climate change, or upholding trust reforms and treaty obligations – is with an eye toward the health and prosperity of the next generation,” she said.</p>
<p>“The White House Tribal Nations Conference is one piece of President Obama’s commitment to make meaningful and lasting progress in support of American Indians’ and Alaska Natives’ vision for a strong and successful future.”</p>
<p>“The heart of the matter is that no one cares more, or knows more about what’s right for young people, than their parents and their community,” Jewell said. Jewell then noted that the BIE recently awarded <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQxMjAzLjM4OTM4MTExJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MTIwMy4zODkzODExMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzA4NjYzJmVtYWlsaWQ9dmluY2VudEBzY2hpbGxpbmdtZWRpYWluYy5jb20mdXNlcmlkPXZpbmNlbnRAc2NoaWxsaW5nbWVkaWFpbmMuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&amp;&amp;&amp;103&amp;&amp;&amp;http://www.bia.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/text/idc1-028214.pdf">$1.2 million to tribes</a> to promote tribal control of BIE-funded schools on their reservations.</p>
<p>Vice President Joe Biden touched on the importance of reaching out to Native youth but placed most emphasis on the importance of preventing violence against women. He said people are obligated to help if a woman is in danger and no man ever has a right to raise his hand to a woman unless it is self-defense.</p>
<p>Biden also talked about changing laws so that tribes would be able to prosecute non-Native offenders.</p>
<p></div></div></div>Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:12:10 +0000kpolisse158120 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/12/04/obama-puts-native-youth-front-and-center-2014-white-house-tribal-nations-conference#commentsTreaty Council’s 40th Conference Celebrates Indigenous Peoples Rightshttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/01/treaty-councils-40th-conference-celebrates-indigenous-peoples-rights-156684
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>The International Indian Treaty Council turned 40 this year and its annual conference will celebrate the past, share experiences and cultures of the present, and develop plans and strategies to meet the ongoing struggles of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.</p>
<p>When the First International Treaty Council of the Western Hemisphere held its first conference on the land of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on June 8-16, 1974, around 5,000 representatives from 97 indigenous nations from across North and South America attended. The conference established the <a href="http://www.iitc.org/" target="_blank">International Indian Treaty Council</a> (IITC), a non-profit organization that works for Indigenous Peoples’ human rights, sovereignty, self-determination, and the recognition and protection of treaties, traditional cultures and sacred lands. The organization <a href="http://bit.ly/1tPvOWD" target="_blank">40th Annual International Indian Treaty Council Conference</a> (IITC) – a huge and historic event – will take place on the family land of Phillip Deere, a Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen and one of IITC’s original co-founders, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, September 10-12. The theme of the conference is “Commemorating 40 years Defending the Rights and Recognition of Indigenous Peoples.”</p>
</p>
<div class="media-youtube-video media-image media-youtube-1">
<iframe class="media-youtube-player" width="590" height="443" title="&quot;Majority Can Be Wrong&quot;: A Conversation with Phillip Deere, Muskogee-Creek Elder" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_KmB1ZNOwEQ?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="">Video of &amp;quot;Majority Can Be Wrong&amp;quot;: A Conversation with Phillip Deere, Muskogee-Creek Elder</iframe></div>
<p>The 1974 conference also adopted the IITC’s founding document – the <a href="http://www.iitc.org/about-iitc/the-declaration-of-continuing-independence-june-1974/" target="_blank">Declaration of Continuing Independence</a>. The groundbreaking document was the precursor to the <a href="http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf" target="_blank">United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples</a> (UNDRIP) that followed more than 30 years later – minus the compromising language of Article 46 in the U.N. document.</p>
<p>The first words of the Declaration of Continuing Independence set its tone. “The United States of America has continually violated the independent Native Peoples of this continent by Executive action, Legislative fiat and Judicial decision. By its actions, the U.S. has denied all Native people their International treaty rights, treaty lands and basic human rights of freedom and sovereignty. This same U.S. Government, which fought to throw off the yoke of oppression and gain its own independence, has now reversed its role and become the oppressor of sovereign Native people.”</p>
<p>Bill Means, Oglala Lakota, and an IITC board member, will be one of the many notable speakers at the conference. “It’s a milestone in the history not only of treaty rights in this country but also of the coming together and advocating for Indigenous Peoples’ human rights throughout the world,” Means told ICTMN. “This is a very important conference to mark and record some of that history since 1974.”</p>
<p>Means, along with his brother the late Russell Means, was a leader and participant in the 1973 occupation and resistance action at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation – events that led directly to the first Treaty Council conference. He will talk about the early days of the American Indian Movement (AIM), but, he said, “We didn’t do this by ourselves. We [AIM] did the organizing, but we had the wisdom and the support of the chiefs and headmen as well as the strong women of the Lakota people at the [first] treaty conference. It was a culmination of many different forces coming together at Wounded Knee in 1973.”</p>
<p>RELATED: <a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/02/27/native-history-aim-occupation-wounded-knee-begins-153765" target="_self">Native History: AIM Occupation of Wounded Knee Begins</a></p>
<p>RELATED: <a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/08/22/tour-wounded-knee-why-it-matters-why-it-hurts-130339" target="_self">A Tour of Wounded Knee: Why It Matters, Why It Hurts</a></p>
<p>The inspiring message from the chiefs and headmen continues to this day, Means said. “They talked about treaty rights as the foundation of our people as a nation – not necessarily as a tribe. Long before reservation days we were a nation of the Lakota People and that’s how we signed the treaties so it’s important for the recognition of our people as nations in the international community,” Means said. “I think that with the advent of reservations in the United States people forget that we come from very powerful Indian nations and under international law we meet all the criteria for nationhood. So part of our work has always been nation-building and the unity of our peoples throughout the world.”</p>
<p></div></div></div>Mon, 01 Sep 2014 12:00:00 +0000kpolisse156684 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/01/treaty-councils-40th-conference-celebrates-indigenous-peoples-rights-156684#commentsArchambualt on Presidential Visit: A Day Focused on Native Youthhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/24/archambualt-presidential-visit-day-focused-native-youth-155454
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p>
<p>Standing Rock Sioux Nation Chairman Dave Archambault II issued the following statement on June 23 regarding President Obama’s June 13 visit to the tribe.</p></div></div></div>Tue, 24 Jun 2014 18:00:00 +0000kpolisse155454 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/24/archambualt-presidential-visit-day-focused-native-youth-155454#commentsSen. Heitkamp Reflects on Historic Presidential Visit to North Dakotahttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/24/sen-heitkamp-reflects-historic-presidential-visit-north-dakota-155439
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><em>In the wake of the historic Presidential visit to Indian country by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Senator Heidi Heitkamp [D-ND], talked to ICTMN about being the receiving Senator of the day.</em></p>
<p><em>Soon after the President and First Lady arrived in North Dakota, Heitkamp joined them on Marine One and made their way to the Standing Rock Sioux celebration in Cannon Ball where the President and First Lady met with tribal leaders, talked with Native youth and enjoyed a powwow celebration.</em></p>
<p><em>Heitkamp also had an opportunity to speak at length with the Obama’s to share her concerns about Indian country and her recent initiatives to include her cosponsored legislation to support Native American language immersion programs and her first </em><em>Native American Veterans Summit </em><em>to connect Native vets with resources, support, and benefits.</em></p>
<p><em>For more information about Senator Heitkamp, visit <a href="http://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/" target="_blank">www.heitkamp.senate.gov</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Last week [week of June 13] was quite a week for Indian country.</strong></p>
<p>The country got some insight into a powwow announcer.</p>
<p><strong>You were the receiving Senator of the President and First Lady. How did that feel?</strong></p>
<p>We shared such a concern for all of these issues. I was proud to show him the great traditions that we have down in Standing Rock. I was proud to be part of the day but this really was about a day for the Standing Rock Sioux Nation.</p>
<p>Yes, I was there and I was given a chance to participate, but what I really appreciated was how respectful they were of tribal sovereignty.</p>
<p><strong>What types of things did you talk about with the President and First Lady – including the issues of course, but anything else?</strong></p>
<p>I spent a lot of time visiting with the President about Native American housing, I think that is one of the critical issues and concerns that we have regarding how we are going to revitalize and improve conditions for Native American people.</p>
<p>I also spoke about the critical need to not only build more housing, but we need to destroy the housing that I think is dangerous to kids, such as houses with black mold. We need to make sure those homes are replaced.</p>
<p></div></div></div>Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:00:00 +0000kpolisse155439 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/24/sen-heitkamp-reflects-historic-presidential-visit-north-dakota-155439#commentsNative History: Pres. Coolidge Summers In Black Hills, Adopted By Siouxhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/23/native-history-newspaper-reports-coolidge-be-adopted-sioux-tribe-155424
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span style="line-height:1.6em;">This Date in Native History: On June 23, 1927, the </span><em>Sioux County Pioneer</em><span style="line-height:1.6em;">, a newspaper in south central North Dakota, reported that U.S. President Calvin Coolidge would be adopted into the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.</span></p>
<p>Coolidge, who was celebrated for signing the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, spent the summer of 1927 in the Black Hills region of South Dakota, working out of an office in Rapid City High School. When Sioux Chieftain Chauncey Yellow Robe, a descendant of Sitting Bull, learned the President would be there, he suggested he be adopted into the tribe.</p>
<p>The<em> Sioux County Pioneer</em>, a weekly publication that came out every Thursday, reported that Yellow Robe had urged his people to extend to the President “a united welcome and genuine western hospitality.”</p>
<p>“It has been asked ‘What the Indians are thinking of President Coolidge’s coming to the Black Hills,’” Yellow Robe reportedly said: “The Indians are like anybody else, they are also anxious to see him come. Our population of more than 20,000 Sioux Indians, the first people of the Hills, will also open their hearts with most sincere and hearty welcome of President Coolidge to the land of the Dakotas and if the occasion should permit, President Coolidge will be adopted into the Sioux tribe. We hope he will find in these beautiful <em>Pahasapas</em> (Black Hills) rest, peace, quiet and friendship among us.”</p>
<p>Coolidge, a Republican attorney from Vermont known by various nicknames including “Silent Cal,” served as vice president under President Warren Harding. When Harding died suddenly in 1923, Coolidge was sworn in and served the remainder of the term. He was elected in 1924 and served until 1929.</p>
<p>During the summer of 1927, Coolidge and his wife, Grace, fled the bustle and humidity of Washington, D.C., said Rushad Thomas, program and editorial associate at the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation. They arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota on June 13 and liked it so much they stayed for three months.</p>
<p>The Coolidges stayed at the Game Lodge in Custer State Park, and while the President worked or fished, Grace knitted on the lodge porch and enjoyed nature walks, states a 2011 article in <a href="http://southdakotamagazine.com/article?articleTitle=the+summer+that+made+the+hills--1308838346--100-" target="_blank"><em>South Dakota Magazine</em></a>.</p>
<p>Their stay also coincided with the sculpting of Mount Rushmore. Coolidge, who participated in a widely publicized dedication ceremony in August of 1927—two years after the project began—later supported legislation to fund completion.</p>
<p><img alt="The carving into the mountain the Sioux call Six Grandfathers began October 4, 1927. (gizmodo.com)" class="media-image" height="363" style="width: 580px; height: 263px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="800" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://d1jrw5jterzxwu.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/article_media/mount-rushmore-construction-gizmodo.jpg" title="" /></p>
<p></div></div></div>Mon, 23 Jun 2014 13:00:00 +0000leeanne155424 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/23/native-history-newspaper-reports-coolidge-be-adopted-sioux-tribe-155424#commentsTrending in Indian Country: "PrezRezVisit" Gained National Attentionhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/21/trending-indian-country-prezrezvisit-gained-national-attention-155422
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>On June 13, As President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama made their way to visit the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota and meet with Tribal leaders, ICTMN and Indian country took the #PrezRezVisit hashtag Twitter Ball – and ran with it.</p>
<p>Within hours of first introducing the hashtag on Thursday, via a tweet by this correspondent <a href="http://twitter.com/VinceSchilling">@VinceSchilling</a>, Thousands and thousands tweeted about the excitement, cautious optimism and speculation about President Obama and the First Lady’s visit.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img alt="" class="media-image" height="244" style="width: 439px; height: 244px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="439" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://d1jrw5jterzxwu.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/default/files/uploads/vincent_tweet.jpg" title="" /></p>
<p>Shortly before President Obama was to land in North Dakota, the #PrezRezVisit hashtag had gained such steam and recognition, <em>The Washington Post</em>’s Abby Phillip <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/06/13/with-prezrezvisit-native-americans-express-cautious-hope-ahead-of-obamas-historic-visit-to-indian-country/">reported</a> on the “cautious hope” Native Americans were expressing.</p>
<p>“[O]nline, Native Americans have been determined to keep the conversation alive. More than 5,000 tweets with the #PrezRezVisit hashtag have been sent out so far, after the trend was started Thursday by Indian Country Today correspondent Vincent Schilling,” Phillips wrote in <em>The Washington Post</em>.</p>
<p>RELATED: <a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/12/obama-visits-indian-country-nd-follow-along-ictmns-twitter-155277" target="_self">Obama Visits Indian County in ND, Follow Along With ICTMN’s Twitter</a></p>
<p>Immediately after posting of the tweet, Indian country and supporters jumped into action on #PrezRezVisit which only gained traction as the time for the President’s and First Lady’s arrival loomed closer. Within hours, the hashtag was trending in such places as Chicago, Philadelphia and Canada.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img alt="" class="media-image" height="336" style="width: 500px; height: 230px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="732" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://d1jrw5jterzxwu.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/default/files/uploads/dinee_dorame.jpg" title="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="391" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 500px; height: 268px;" width="730" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://d1jrw5jterzxwu.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/default/files/uploads/tommy_tweet.png" title="" /></p>
<p></div></div></div>Sat, 21 Jun 2014 18:00:00 +0000kpolisse155422 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/21/trending-indian-country-prezrezvisit-gained-national-attention-155422#commentsWhite House Recap: The President’s Historic Visit to Indian Countryhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/21/white-house-recap-presidents-historic-visit-indian-country-155421
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>On Friday, June 13, President Obama made a historic trip to Indian country when he traveled to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Nation in Cannonball, North Dakota.</p></div></div></div>Sat, 21 Jun 2014 15:21:39 +0000kpolisse155421 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/21/white-house-recap-presidents-historic-visit-indian-country-155421#commentsObama Reaffirms Commitment to Indian Country in Historic Visithttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/14/obama-reaffirms-commitment-indian-country-historic-visit-155306
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>In the tiny hamlet of Cannon Ball, North Dakota, President Barack Obama on Friday June 13 reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining the government-to-government relationship that he had struck with America's Indian tribes during his historic first visit to an Indian reservation since his 2008 election.</p>
<p>As clouds gathered and brutal southeasterly winds pummeled the area where the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe holds its annual Flag Day Wacipi Powwow, nearly 2,000 Indian people, tribal leaders, governors and Congressional delegations, including Senator Heidi Heitkamp and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, as well as government officials from both states, gathered to hear Obama's address.</p>
<p>At roughly 5 p.m. local time, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Dave Archambault II thanked the President and First Lady Michelle Obama for taking the time to attend the Flag Day celebration honoring tribal veterans for their well-known service to America's armed forces. Archambault and his wife then presented the President and First Lady with a red, white and blue star quilt and a ladies shawl.</p>
<p>Afterward, during his remarks, Obama stressed the progress his administration has made during his two terms in office and reiterated his commitment to economic development and education in Indian communities. Additionally, he discussed the settlement of the Cobell Trust case, which led to the government's Land Buy-Back Plan in which $1.9 billion has been set aside to consolidate individual Indian lands into tribal trust lands.</p>
<p>RELATED: <a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/04/congress-members-question-interiors-control-cobell-buyback-program-155145" target="_self">Members of Congress Want More Native Control of Cobell Buyback Program</a></p>
<p>"We’ve made major investments to help grow tribal economies—investments in job training and tribal colleges; roads and high-speed Internet; energy, including renewable energy. And thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Native Americans—like all Americans—finally have access to quality, affordable health care," Obama said. "But I realize that a powwow isn’t just about celebrating the past. It’s also about looking to the future. It’s about keeping sacred traditions alive for the next generation, for these beautiful children. So here today, I want to focus on the work that lies ahead. And I think we can follow the lead of Standing Rock’s most famous resident, Chief Sitting Bull. He said, 'Let’s put our minds together to see what we can build for our children.' ”</p>
<p></div></div></div>Sat, 14 Jun 2014 04:25:00 +0000theresa155306 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/14/obama-reaffirms-commitment-indian-country-historic-visit-155306#commentsIndian Country Prepares for Obama Visit to Standing Rock, as Chairman Dismisses Criticismhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/13/indian-country-prepares-obama-visit-standing-rock-chairman-dismisses-criticism-155282
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>With President Obama scheduled to arrive in North Dakota today, eyes of the nation are on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as tribal leaders and community members from across the Northern Plains gather in Cannon Ball for a historic visit by a sitting president and the First Lady.</p>
<p>Obama’s trip to Standing Rock is the first visit to an Indian reservation by a President since Bill Clinton visited the Navajo Nation in 2000. Additionally, it is the first time in U.S. History that a First Lady has accompanied the president to a Native community and celebration.</p>
<p>In an op-ed published by Indian Country Today Media Network last week, the President announced his plans to visit Cannon Ball, which was the home of Chief Sitting Bull, on Friday to participate in the tribe’s annual Flag Day Celebration Wacipi honoring Native American Veterans. Obama said he will announce the “next steps” that his administration will take to support job creation, education, and self-determination in Indian country.</p>
<p>RELATED: <a href="https://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/05/my-upcoming-trip-indian-country" target="_self">On My Upcoming Trip to Indian Country</a></p>
<p>In an exclusive interview with ICTMN, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Dave Archambault II discussed the importance of the President’s visit and its significance to native communities across the nation.</p>
<p>“President Obama has been a great friend and supporter of Indian country,” said Archambault, who will also give remarks and present the President and First Lady with gifts from his tribe. “No other President has ever done as much as he has done for Indian people. He is the first to hold a tribal summit every year, where he actively listens to tribal concerns and hears first-hand about the treaties that have been broken. He has put into place at least a dozen initiatives that respect the government-to-government relationship that tribes have with the federal government. We are proud that he chose our community as the platform for this important address.”</p>
<p>In addition to the annual tribal summit, Archambault cited other accomplishments that have benefitted the tribe’s during Obama’s time in office, including Executive Order 13175, requiring consultation and coordination among the federal agencies with the tribes; the settlement of longstanding legal disputes, including <em>Cobell </em>and <em>Keepseagle</em>; increased and expanded accessed to health care for tribal members through the Affordable Care Act; safer communities through the 2010 Tribal Law and Order Act; and sustainable economic development through the Recovery Act, among others.</p>
<p></div></div></div>Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:00:00 +0000kpolisse155282 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/13/indian-country-prepares-obama-visit-standing-rock-chairman-dismisses-criticism-155282#commentsObama Planning Trip to Indian Reservation in Junehttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/05/24/obama-planning-trip-indian-reservation-june-155018
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span style="line-height:1.6em;">President Barack Obama is planning to visit a North Dakota Indian reservation in June, officials familiar with the plans told the </span><em style="line-height:1.6em;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/n&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;"></a></em></p></div></div></div>Sat, 24 May 2014 19:06:40 +0000leeanne155018 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/05/24/obama-planning-trip-indian-reservation-june-155018#comments